Aintree Racecourse will host the Aintree Two-Day Meeting on November 6 and 7, 2026, with £480,000 in total prize money following the cancellation of Exeter’s Haldon Gold Cup Day and Wincanton’s Badger Chase Ladies’ Day due to unsuitable ground conditions. The revised programme will bring several major races together at Aintree, with their original prize money maintained.
The two-day meeting will feature the BetMGM Haldon Gold Cup, the Boodles Rising Stars Novices’ Chase and the BetMGM Future Stars Silver Bowl Novices’ Chase. The William Hill Molyneux Hurdle, previously known as the Elite Hurdle, will also headline the programme.
The cancellations will follow an exceptionally dry summer, continued warm temperatures and limited rainfall during the autumn. Although rainfall will have increased over the 10 days preceding the announcement, the forecast will indicate insufficient further rain to provide safe ground for jump racing at Exeter and Wincanton.
Aintree Two-Day Meeting to Feature Major National Hunt Races
The Aintree Two-Day Meeting will open on Friday, November 6, with a seven-race card under the Haldon Gold Cup Day banner. The principal contest will be the £100,000 BetMGM Haldon Gold Cup Handicap Steeple Chase over two miles.
Friday’s programme will also include the £40,000 BetMGM Future Stars Silver Bowl Novices’ Steeple Chase over three miles and one furlong, alongside an £80,000 Premier Handicap Steeple Chase over the same distance. The remaining races will comprise a novices’ limited handicap chase, a novices’ hurdle and two handicap hurdles. Race times for Friday will be confirmed later.
Saturday, November 7, will feature another seven-race programme, with the William Hill Molyneux Hurdle worth £70,000 and the Boodles Rising Stars Novices’ Chase carrying £75,000 in prize money.
The Saturday card will begin at 12.15pm with the William Hill Epic Boosts EBF National Hunt Novices’ Hurdle over two miles and four furlongs. The Molyneux Hurdle will follow at 1.25pm, before the Rising Stars Novices’ Chase at 2pm.
The remaining races will include the Pertemps Network Handicap Hurdle at 2.35pm, the Play Lucky Stable With William Hill Handicap Chase at 3.10pm and the William Hill Junior National Hunt Flat Race at 3.45pm.
ITV Racing will broadcast both days of the meeting, bringing coverage of the principal contests to viewers.
Ground Conditions Lead to Further Racing Changes
Andrew Morris, Director of Racing and Industry Relations at The Jockey Club, will explain that the decision will prioritise the safety of horses and participants. He will also acknowledge the disappointment for the teams at Exeter and Wincanton while thanking the British Horseracing Authority for supporting the transfer of the feature races to Aintree at their original prize money levels.
The changes will extend to Sandown Park, where the Sunday, November 8, fixture will become an all-hurdle meeting. The chase course will remain unsuitable for racing, and the forecast will suggest that conditions will not improve sufficiently before the fixture.
The hurdle course, which will use the watered summer Flat course, will remain suitable for racing. The meeting will therefore retain its seven-race format, with further details to follow.
Sulekha Varma, Head of Racing at Aintree Racecourse, will welcome the opportunity to provide an alternative venue for the feature races from Exeter and Wincanton. She will also highlight the strengthened Saturday programme and acknowledge the cooperation of racecourse partners, participants, the BHA, RMG and ITV Racing.
General admission tickets for Friday, November 6, will be available for £10 through the official Aintree website. Racegoers who purchased general admission tickets for the cancelled West Country Weekend fixtures will receive automatic refunds. Hospitality guests and annual members will be contacted directly by the respective racecourses.
The Aintree Two-Day Meeting will offer £480,000 in prize money across November 6 and 7, following the cancellation of Exeter and Wincanton’s fixtures because of unsuitable ground conditions. The programme will feature the Haldon Gold Cup, Rising Stars Novices’ Chase and Molyneux Hurdle, with both days scheduled for ITV Racing coverage.
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